Evaluation of a tissue-engineered bovine pericardial patch in paediatric patients with congenital cardiac anomalies: initial experience with the ADAPT-treated CardioCel(R) patch

Abstract

OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the safety, efficacy and clinical performance of the tissue-engineered ADAPT® bovine pericardial patch (ABPP) in paediatric patients with a range of congenital cardiac anomalies. METHODS In this single-centre, prospective, non-randomized clinical study, paediatric patients underwent surgery for insertion of the ABPP. Primary efficacy measures included early (RESULTS Between April 2008 and September 2009, the ABPP was used in 30 paediatric patients. In the 30-day postoperative period, no graft-related morbidity was observed. In total, there were 5 deaths (2 in the 30-day postoperative period and 3 within the first 6 postoperative months). All deaths were deemed due to comorbid non-graft-related events. Echocardiography assessment at 6 and 12 months revealed intact anatomical and haemodynamically stable repairs without any visible calcification of the patch. Magnetic resonance imaging assessment in 10 patients at 12 months revealed no signs of calcification. Fisher's exact test demonstrated that patients undergoing more complex, higher risk surgical repairs (Aristotle complexity score >8) were significantly more likely to die (P = 0.0055, 58% survival compared with 100% survival for less complex surgical repairs). In 19 patients, echocardiographic data were available at 18–36 months with no evidence of device calcification, infection, thromboembolic events or device failure. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of this engineered bovine pericardial patch as a cardiovascular substitute for surgical repair of both simple and more complex congenital cardiac defects.